Improvement ihj railway switches



MEDARD FELS AND JOHN W. FELS,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 140,909, dated July 15, 1873; application'filed June 26, 1873.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that W6,MEDARD FELS and JOHN W. FELS, both of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches for Street-Railroads, of which the following is a specification:

This invention is designed to obviate the necessity of employing a man or boy for switching street-cars off from the main track onto a side track or other branch route; and our improvement relates to an arrangement of devices whereby cars running upon the main track will automatically unset the switch when they approach a curve, so as to proceed directly upon their route without being switched off on the side or branch track. After passing a sufficient distance beyond the curve the car then acts to automatically reset the switch in such a manner as to divert the following car off upon the side track unless it is especially adapted to run upon the main route, as hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 is a plan of our improved switch, showing it set so as to compel cars to run upon the main track. Fig. 2 is another plan, showing the switch set so as to direct cars off upon the side or branch track. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation, showing the tappet and its accessories, which operate to shift the switch as the cars approach the curve. Fig. 4 is a plan of the same; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the rail that is provided with the switch.

A represents the main route of a street-railroad; and B is a branch route, side track, or turn-out proceeding from the same. The main route is composed. of two customary flanged rails, O 0, while the side-track is connected to said main route by an ordinary curve, consisting of a grooved or doubleflanged rail, D, and a flat or unflanged one, D. Located at the intersection of the grooved rail D with the trackO of the main routeis an ordinary switch,E, that is pivoted at f to the plate F. This switch, instead of being opened and closed by a switchman or other attendant, is automatically operated by the car in the following manner: Projecting downwardly from the switch Eis a stud, e, which traverses a transverse slot, 0, in the rail 0, and said stud or lug has attached to it one end of a rod, G, whose other end is secured to an arm, k, that radiates from a horizontal plate'or disk, H, which latter is pivoted, at i, to a cross-tie or other support, I. Radiating from this disk is another arm, h, to which is attached a connecting-rod,

j, which takes hold of a crank, 70, upon a rockshaft, K. This crank may be located at one end'of said shaft, as shown in Fig. 1, or at any suitable point along the shaft, as represented in Fig. 2. The rock-shaft is journaled in boxes L L, of which the one, L, may be furnished with stops 1 l fora purpose which will presently appear. Secured to the shaft K, between the box L and track 0, is a tappet, M, that proj ects upward a slight distance above the tram of said track, so as to be impinged against, at the proper moment, by a disk or wheel, N, which is keyed to the axle n of a car; it being understood that these disks are attached only to the axles of such cars as are to run upon the main route A. Attached to the end of arm h is another connecting-rod, j, which is similar to the one j,butis considerably longer,as shown. This rod communicates with a crank, k, of rock-shaft K, the latter being located a suitable distance beyond the rail D of the curve. This rock-shaft is journaled in boxes 0 O, of which the one 0 is furnished with stops or guides 0 0. Secured to the shaft K, between the box 0 and track 0, is a tappet, M, similar to the one M previously described. These tappets are arranged upon their respective shafts in such a manner that when one is elevated the other will be depressed, and vice versa.

When a car adapted to run upon the main route A approaches the curve, as indicated by the, arrow in Fig. 1, the disk N upon the front axle of said car impinges against the upwardly-projecting tappet M, and forces the same over against the stop l, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. This forcible turning down of said tappet causes a corresponding rotation'of the rock-shaft K in its bearings, and motion is transferred from this shaft to the pivoted disk or center H through the instrumentality of connecting rod j. As the thrust upon the connection j is toward the disk H the result-is that the latter is rotated in such a manner as to force the switch E against the curved rail D, and thereby leave the. main track 0 0 open for the unobstructed passage a of said switch the passage along the main track 0 C is closed, and an unobstructed course is left for the next car to turn out upon the curve leading to the side of a branch track.

As the cars which are designed to run upon the branch track are not provided with any disk upon their axles it will be readily understood that they do not operate upon the switchin g mechanism at all; consequently, access to the main track is always closed, except at the very moment when a car adapted for said main track is passing the curve.

In arranging the mechanism care should be taken to locate the shaft K so far beyond the track D as to insure the rear axle of the car passing the switch before the latter is again closed.

The tappets, being operated by a rotating disk, are not subjected to such severe concussions and strains as would accompany the use of an unyielding projection, such as a fixed bar or lever.

In actual practice, all the operating devices are to be concealed and protected beneath a suitable platform, with the exception of the tappets M M, which project above the tram of the track, as previously explained. In case these tappets should be struck by a vehicle they would simply shift the switch without injuring any of the operative parts, or interfering with passage of the cars, as the latter would automatically reset the switch at the proper moment. I

.A bellcrank or equivalent device may be substituted for the disk H h h.

It will be seen that our self-acting mechanism not only obviates the necessity of employing a special attendant to operate the switches of a street railroad track, but it also renders it unnecessary for either the conductors or drivers of the cars to alight and set the switches as frequently as a car passes or enters the curve.

We claim as our invention- The combination of the switch E f, rod G, pivoted center-plate H h h, connecting rods jj, rock shafts K k K 70, and tappets M M, when employed in connection with the rails C G D D, and adapted to be operated by a rotary disk N, substantially as herein described and illustrated.

In testimony of which invention we hereunto set our hands.

MEDARD FELS. JOHN W. FELS.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, JAMES H. LAYMAN. 

